Fortune Well March 12, 2025
Lifestyle
It is not uncommon to go on a vacation and wonder, “Why am I not living here?” While the U.S. only ranks 23rd on the World Happiness Report, there are pockets of happiness that outshine the rest of the country, as not everyone’s experience of joy is equal. If you’re unhappy where you are living—or are looking for a fresh start—you might want to consider the happiest cities in the U.S.
Personal finance company WalletHub just released its rankings of America’s happiest cities. The company ranked cities based on 29 metrics of happiness, from depression rates to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day. Each metric was ranked on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.
“The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.
Here are how the happiest and unhappiest cities measured up.
The WalletHub report explains that the top city, Fremont, Calif., had the highest share of households with an income above $75,000—nearly 80%. One study from 2022 found that happiness increases steadily as income increases until $75,000, where happiness appears to flatten out. Analysts from WalletHub determined that cities where a substantial percentage of people make at least $75,000 per year are more likely to have maximized their happiness.
People in Fremont also have the highest rate of life satisfaction, the fifth-lowest depression rate, and the fourth-highest average life expectancy in the country, according to WalletHub. It also has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at only 8.9%, and the fewest reports of mentally unhealthy days per month.
The longest study on happiness revealed that the number one factor for long-term happiness was the strength of people’s relationships—and Fremont took the sixth spot among WalletHub’s ranking of the most caring cities in America.
To figure out how each city compared, WalletHub drew upon their own research and data from the U.S. government, as well as several studies on happiness. They then used the following metrics to score the cities:
173. Mobile, Ala.
174. Montgomery, Ala.
175. Huntington, W.Va.
176. Birmingham, Ala.
177. Toledo, Ohio
178. Gulfport, Miss.
179. Fort Smith, Ark.
180. Memphis, Tenn.
181. Detroit, Mich.
182. Cleveland, Ohio
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